Retrograde
by RemediumDraconem
Summary: This is a fanfiction based on my OC, Harmony Halcyon, reflecting on her past. It is based on the song, "Retrograde" by James Blake and features a few of the characters from the compilation. I hope you all enjoy! :) Rated M to be on the safe side. I do not own any of the characters except Harmony. Dillon Marquard belongs to Makoheadrush.


Another quiet night sweeps over Midgar as it nears the late hours. The streets along Sector Eight is oddly desolate with the residents fast asleep in their apartments and town houses, ignorant of the troubles around them, and in the slums below their feet. No one is aware of a stranger lurking in the shadows and inching along the cobblestone to remain from line of sight of Turks on guard. She weaves through the shady alleyways, the green glow of her bionic eye focusing in the distance when she peers from the corners toward the street.

The young woman thought. Long, dark brown bangs fall over the unusual eye as she darts into another alley across from her previous hiding place. Not much farther now.

_Wait! Someone is there!_ Harmony steps back into the alley when a figure wanders down the sidewalk. A young woman steps out, carrying a basket of flowers on her arm. The woman stops before the fountain. Bright green eyes look behind her. Harmony sinks further into the shadows, she can't afford to be seen. The flower girl spends a long, intense moment, not sure if someone was there. Harmony eases her breathing, hoping she won't be caught.

The girl looks away, straightening her pink dress and turning to the left to return to the Slums after an evening of selling flowers. "Thank the gods." Harmony whispers to herself. In the recesses of her mind, she vaguely remembers the girl, from her long, thick braid with a pink ribbon to the small smile gracing her face as she returns home after an evening of selling her flowers. _She's beautiful_, Harmony thought with remorse_. Nothing like me. Not anymore…_

She steps out from the alley and runs down the streets. The girl is almost there. So much is at risk in this odyssey, but she had to go. She has to return. It's been two weeks since Harmony Halcyon woke up to a group of rebels called AVALANCHE. She could barely remember what happened before, it was all a blur. Harmony remembered her name, she remembered fragments of her experiences and over time, her memory recovered. Such vivid memories.

"There it is…" Harmony says, standing before the little house nestled among the abandoned areas of Sector Eight. Ever since Genesis sent his copies to attack, areas of the Sector was boarded up and no one dared to return to their former homes. A brown eyebrow arches. Is this the right place? Harmony remembers, 77 East Materia Avenue. Yes, this is her childhood home.

It was a lovely town house painted white with a blue door and cobble stone pathway towards it. Harmony's heart sink to see so much has changed. The exterior bear dark stains of blood from battles long ago. The blue paint peels from the door with the addition of planks of wood nailing it shut. A sign is also nailed to the door: "CONDEMED." Two windows at the front are broken, possibly from battle, or theft. Both made Harmony's heart sink. The house's current condition is not fit for anyone to live in. Shinra must think this house along with a few others nearby are worth rebuilding. Demolishing it seems to be an answer for them.

A soft gasp leaves her when she nearly trips. Harmony caught herself and she looks down. Some stones of the cobblestone path are turned over and a few are missing, which resulted the loss of footing. "I'm almost afraid to go in there." Harmony makes her way to the porch. The wood creaks, Harmony listens hard for any sign of Turks patrolling or a SOLDIER happening to be on the street. Though she is not sure if the latter would have much reason being here. No one has lived on this block for a long time. "No, I came this far. I have to…I need to." Harmony nods at her decision and she accesses the first challenge.

There's only one way to get in. She looks about, finding no one. Long bangs leave her sight with one shake of the head. Her left eye is not the one she was born with. The sclera is black as the surrounding night, the iris glowing green with crosshairs in place of the pupil. Nothing like her gray, human eye. Harmony's right hand takes one of the boards. Eyebrows knit together as she pulls on it. Nails pop off and the board snaps in half. The young woman drops it, looking over her shoulder.

There's no sound, she is still safe. The same hand pulls on the other half of the board. Then, she takes out another, and another. Sweat beads over her forehead once the door is cleared. The right hand doesn't hurt at all, but it did strain her back. She is going to feel that in the morning.

The door creaks open and a strong, musty smell welcomes Harmony when she steps inside. A hand claps over her mouth and nose. With a frown from the odor, she trudges on. It's pitch black with everything in disarray. Her mother must have left in a hurry when the copies attacked. That is, if Harmony's mother is still alive. There's no way to know now. The faint glow of the lights leaking through the surviving windows offered some light. The living room is barren with moth eaten drapes,

It hurts her to see her beloved home, once in pristine condition, in shambles. "I wonder if everything in my room is still there." Harmony mutters and she makes her way up the staircase to the upper level. The carpet holds a musty odor with light blue wallpaper peeling away. "I left so abruptly, I didn't get everything cleared out." She frowns to think about her last night at home. Now isn't the best time to think of that. She steps into the second floor, a short hallway before her and just in as bad as shape as on the first floor. The door to her left is barren, where her mother and father used to sleep. The bathroom is just across it and the door further down to the right is a room she used to spend nearly every night in. "There it is…" Harmony whispers and she ventures further down the hall to the door. A shaky hand wraps around the knob. A click and the door creaks open to a world she once forgotten.

_You're on your own, _

_in a world you've grown…_

The gleam of the street light outside illuminates the room with dust floating in the air. The bed is stripped of the soft sheets and mountain of pillows in once had. Even the duvet with blue blossoms and lilacs embroidered cease to be. She will never know what became of it. She can't help but smile to see the vanity is still here in its own corner, the mirror cracked at the right hand corner. Her jewelry box filled with pendants, bracelets and rings long gone when thieves robbed the abandoned home. Harmony is sure her mother was evacuated from the house when G copies attacked Sector Eight. She never returned, most likely because she was offered to live close to Shinra where she worked. It was while Harmony was a prisoner, dead to the world. It was an ugly time.

Harmony perks up to the sound of glass crunching under her boot. The trail of small crystals shimmer in the light leaking in, leading to a long forgotten painting. A metallic hand gingerly picks up the broken frame encasing the painting. "I used to love to paint since I was just a girl." She mutters, looking at the small canvas of a vibrant red rose. It's just as beautiful as the day it was made, the surviving beauty among decay and despair.

"A rose…I almost forgot what one was like. The last one I saw was from that day." The cyborg mutters as her mind drifts back to seven years ago, to a time of happiness, hope and ignorance.

* * *

"You did remember!" A young girl exclaims as her eyes, both gray, light up to see a rare item. A cadet grins at her, his green eyes bright when he offers her the red rose. Flowers are luxury items in Midgar and Harmony couldn't believe Dill got her one for her sixteenth birthday. It wasn't every day that someone could get flowers such as the rose. She couldn't imagine what Dill had to do to get it, she was sure it was a little pricey. "With all this talk about today's drill, I was thinking everyone would forget. I almost did myself." She laughs and Dill grins.

"How could I forget? I would never forget about your birthday." He says and he wraps his arm around her shoulders. "You didn't have to give me anything. I thank you for it." Harmony smiles and gives Dill a kiss on the freckled cheek. Laughter bursts out in the room, causing the pair to stir.

"Is this a bad time? I didn't know we were interrupting something." A talk man with spiky black hair and blazing blue eyes crows. A shorter man with blonde hair and a shy smile gracing his face. "Zack, you sure picked a fine time to drop by." Harmony admits with a blush and she smiles with a nod to Cloud in greeting.

"Aw come now. I just wanted to stop by and say happy birthday to a friend. I see nothing wrong with that." Zack laughs and he ruffles Harmony's hair. "I suppose not. I would appreciate not having you mess up my hair. "Right, my bad." Zack answers with a wide grin. He removes his hand and Harmony moves closer to Cloud. "Hey. I haven't seen you at all today? I bet Zack and Reno have been keeping you too busy to greet your friends."

"Sorry about that. I've been running all over the place lately."

"Aw, come on now. I was only teasing. I know how it is. Everything has been hectic lately. It's good to see you again." Harmony says with a smile. "Likewise," Cloud smiles shyly, glad to see a friend he has known since they started in Shinra's Military Academy. Dill checks the time on his wrist watch, frowning to see the time. "Well this sucks. I have to cut this meeting short. My turn for the drill is coming up."

"That's right! I'm up for that too." Cloud gasps, he almost forgot about it and now it's a few minutes away. "Easy, boys! I'm sure Angeal won't gripe on you just this once, but I think you guys can make it. Good luck out there." Zack says with his hand clapped over Cloud's shoulder. "Thanks." Cloud says and he runs down the hall from the others. "Meet you there, Dill!"

"I need to get going myself. Not a fan of reports, but someone has to do them." The SOLDIER laughs and he waves to the other two as he departs. "Mind yourselves now. Happy birthday, Harm." "See ya!" Dill waves, his green eyes shining beneath his strawberry blond hair. "Don't forget about tonight, Harm. I'll get Cloud and the others and we'll meet over at Luigi's at six." Harmony hugs Dill to her, she was surprised that he set up a party for her and all their friends at one of her favorite restaurants. "I won't forget. I give you the best luck for the drill." With that, she gave him another kiss, a quick one on the lips. Dill blinks, his cheeks holding a red tinge and a wide grin on his face. That silly, cute grin Harmony always loved.

* * *

Harmony blinks away the pleasant memory of love. There was a time when she found love and the happiness among friends. Harmony loved that rose. It may be a simple gift, but she treasured it so. The cyborg intended to care for the rose, and preserve it later on. She thinks she had one petal left somewhere. She had to find it. Dill's gift was a symbol of how fond he was of her and she wanted to show she returned the feelings. Harmony never had a chance.

There's no telling what has become of them now. Harmony may never know, it's been so long. She was only a girl back then. How she missed being a child innocent from the ugly truth of the world she knew and even loved. "I'm sure they think I'm dead and gone. That's if they're still alive…I fear for the worst. No one would recognize me as I am now. No one could want this." Harmony mutters, remembering a time when she was all flesh and blood. Her train of thought cut short when something caught her eye.

She crosses the small room into the closet with its door ajar. Something shine in the spying light of the lamp outside. Most of Harmony's clothes are gone. She gathered as much as she could when she left home to join Shinra's Infantry. The few she left were taken by thieves after it fell apart by G copies attacks. Yet there was something left behind. She picks up a long forgotten garment. It's an old dress that Harmony once loved. It was a beautiful gown that she wore during the debutante balls. Shinra held one once in a while. There was a goal behind it all for the future of SOLDIER. The more privileged girls who lived above the Plate went escorted by their fathers to meet the members of SOLDIER who searched for wives. More marriages meant more children, and more children meant more soldiers to defend Shinra's grasp on the world. The mint green silk dress is now soiled, left alone in the rotting darkness of the remains of the house. Harmony was supposed to go to the ball with her father. That was until duty called. She held the dress her father bought her for the occasion, remembering that fateful day.

* * *

"I'm sorry, honey. I don't know if we can make it this time. The General is on his way to Wutai and they're rounding up more men for this tour. I've been summoned to join his squad." A tall man says, his gray eyes holding sadness. He's dressed in Shinra's issued uniform for the Infantry and he packed everything he needed. A young girl of fifteen stands in the hallway, brushing the flour off her skirt, her long hair in a high ponytail to keep it out of her face when she was working. She holds a small bag in her hand, two gray eyes hold the same degree of sadness as her father. "N-no…It's okay Daddy. I know you can't help it." Harmony knows she shouldn't get her hopes up. Her father is hardly home because of his job and her mother was often busy with her job as a secretary for Shinra. Life is expensive and the higher class had a price to pay by spending long hours serving the company. Many of the children born above the Plate in Midgar learned to take care of themselves at an early age because of this. Harmony was no exception.

"Perhaps we can go to the ball next time?" She asks with a small smile. Her father reflected that with a smile of his own. "Of course, my dear. I'm sure I'll get time off for that. There will be a next time." He kisses the top of his daughter's head. "Oh, I made these cookies for you. Something to have on your trip." Harmony's father takes the bag from her. "Thank you, dear. You'll make a fine wife someday." He says and he turns around to slip the bag of cookies in a safe compartment of his duffel bag. He swings it over his broad shoulder, taking his helmet under his arm. A woman approaches him from the kitchen with a lunch bag. "I should be home for a while after this one." He tells his wife. "Luke, they really need to stop with these tours. We're sure to win the war." The woman says with a slight frown. "I'm not sure what to say to that. Duty calls and you and I both now we can't ignore that. I'll call you as soon as I can, Destiny." He kisses his wife before placing the helmet over his head. "I love you girls. I plan to be back before you know it." With that, Luke leaves the house with all his things.

"Mama, do you think he'll make it back?" Harmony asks and Destiny nods. "I'm sure of it, he always has. Most of the men sent to battle are third and second class SOLDIERS. They want the strongest men on the front lines."

"But Daddy is strong. He could beat every Wutainese warrior there if they would let him in SOLDIER!" "Perhaps, but Shinra always have many requirements to be in SOLDIER. Your father may be qualified for it, but he has yet to be accepted. Perhaps he'll have more of a chance now that he is under General Sephiroth's command." Destiny responds as she makes her way down the hall to the living room to continue her work. Even on rare occasions when she's home, Destiny is busy with work she would have to bring home. Harmony knows better than to follow and be an annoyance. She climbs up the stairs to her bedroom to find the dress hanging on the closet door. Harmony picks it up, admiring its beauty. Her father bought it from a tailor's shop in Wall Market. She didn't know what it was like there, her parents always warned her not to go to the Slums. It's a beautiful sight and she feels lucky to have it.

She shouldn't be so selfish. There's several other girls who may not get to go to the ball with their fathers sent on this tour as well. Not unless they had uncles, grandfathers, cousins or older brothers. Harmony is sure she isn't alone and there will be a next time. Besides, her father was chosen to serve the general, the hero of Midgar: Sephiroth. He couldn't reject that and it could help him get to SOLDIER. Her father always wanted to be in SOLDIER. "I'll go next time! Maybe Daddy will be in SOLDIER by then. I can't wait for that!" The teenager exclaims as she slips the dress off the hanger and turns on her radio to hear a song play in her bedroom. "I'm going to be so proud when that day comes and we'll go together. I can't wait to dance across the ballroom, and meet a dashing SOLDIER of my own." With that, Harmony holds the dress to her chest, dancing across the floor of her bedroom, lost in her fantasy. The daydream of such a glorious night fills her head. She spins about to face the full length mirror hanging at the wall.

* * *

Eyes open to see the glass cracked, a wide, silver gray eye and a glowing bionic eye looking back at her. She stands alone in the desolate room with the filthy dress held to her. The horror to see herself not in the pleasant moment in her memories fades to know this creature in the mirror is her own reflection. The memory of hope is long gone. "I remember…" Harmony mutters to herself. "That was three months before Daddy died. An ambush in Wutai killed him. I knew he wanted to be in SOLDIER. I wanted to make him proud. I wanted to make his dream come true…Mama was angry when I cut all my hair and met a recruiting officer. We fought and she told me to get out of the house." She strokes her chin length bangs back over her bionic eye.

"I didn't see Mama after that. I guess Shinra had her move out of this house before the G copies came. I don't know where she is now. I bet she thinks I'm dead too." There's no way Destiny would recognize her daughter, not as she is. It was taboo to have one's daughter attempt to join SOLDIER. It was possible for women to join the ranks in the military, but discouraged. None of that made sense to Harmony and it was before she knew the truth, the lies and corruptions Shinra created. They gave the people of Midgar the façade of beauty and security. It was all lies. Harmony's mother didn't want to have everyone speak of her daughter being among the men sworn to fight and kill or be killed. The remedy this narrow minded society offered was to sever all contacts with her only child.

Harmony's cybernetic hand rests on the glass of the mirror, staring at herself. It's still very hard to believe. Like her father, she never made it to SOLDIER. Harmony survived the trials in the academy with new friends and became a promising field medic among the Infantry, but they always turned her down when she applied for SOLDIER. It went from bad to worse. The young woman screws her eyes shut to hold in the tears with one escaping her human eye. The bionic eye will never feel the sensation of tears again. That horrible night changed everything. It started as a simple mission one night, shortly after Harmony turned sixteen. It was before Genesis deserted Shinra for reasons still unknown to her. He was sent on a mission to Reactor Three with a few Infantrymen in tow to investigate suspicious activity, possibly by a group of eco-terrorists, AVALANCHE. Harmony disobeyed orders and approached the reactor when she noticed a strange light. She warned everyone of the source of the light, it was a bomb. Genesis managed to save himself thanks to that warning but everyone else didn't have a chance to take cover.

Harmony was close to the reactor when it blew up. The pain was beyond anything she felt before. There were faint cries of pain, of voices from the Lifestream pulled out to be processed as Mako. It hurt to breathe when Mako filled her lungs. She remembers it felt like her lungs were torn from the inside out. She couldn't see, not knowing that her right arm was torn off from her body. She felt warm beneath her, unaware that it was her own blood. There was severe pain radiating in her head from her left eye. She didn't know. The helmet she wore broke and punctured the left eye. Death was very near, but Harmony held on for as long as she could. All was black and she was sure she met death's embrace. It would have been a great comfort from the Hell she was destined to.

Hidden eyes spot sign of life among the wreck. Two men were dispatched when word of a possible bombing leaked. They were here for another purpose. Professor Hojo from Shinra's Science Department wants more test subjects and saw this as the perfect opportunity. Harmony didn't remember being picked up and prepared for immediate transport to the labs. Her comrades were dead, yet she survived. All that mattered is she lived and that is what is needed for Hojo's experiments.

Harmony shakes her head, anger fills her heart as she remembers what Hojo did to her. He rebuilt her, replacing damaged organs and tissue with new ones cloned from her cells. The artificial eye and mechanical arm replaced the missing parts. None of this was from the kindness in his heart. Harmony laughs at the thought. How could a man like Hojo have a heart?

It was all for his research, for the goal to make powerful soldiers of man and machine. Many experiments and tests he forced the cyborg through, each more horrifying than the last. Because of Hojo, she is no longer human. He often reminded her that she had no name, no family or friends, and no one would know what became of her. She was an experiment to the professor. An ugly, horrid creature like the monsters surrounding her in the labs and what she had to face in testing her capabilities. Harmony lowers her head, she can't stand to see herself. She's not the girl she once knew, she's no longer whole, no longer the girl she wanted to be. It's hard to see herself as she once was, when she liked herself.

_Few more years to go._

_Don't let the hurdle fall._

_So be the girl you loved,_

_Be the girl you loved._

Another memory slips into Harmony's mind. The pain returns and anger sets her blood boiling.

* * *

"Bring forth Subject HH-152 immediately! Time is of the essence." A nasal voice sounds out in the metallic corridors Harmony woke up to that horrid voice. She sits up in the bed, alone in her dark cell. It's cold and uninviting, but it's so much better than waking up strapped to a metal table under tubes, blades and scalpels with strangers in lab coats around her. She loathed it, how they treat her like an animal at their disposal, not caring for her health or safety. What of it if she didn't survive? Harmony Halcyon was reborn as a tool for Shinra's research. They no longer saw her as a citizen or a human being. Professor Hojo took his leave for the meeting room, knowing the experiment will follow.

"Get into formation for Class Three transportation." A strange voice announces to his comrades outside the door. She hears the high pitched beep from the swipe of a keycard. Her stomach churns and her heart picks up its pace. She's afraid of what this devil of a man has in store for her. No one should experience the horrors she has. Harmony forgot how to cry when she is hurt, scared and sad. She almost forgot the name of these emotions, but she felt them. She always felt them even after years of conditioning to be a strong soldier and left to rot in the labs. Showing emotion is weakness here in this prison, and the weak are the first to die.

The door opens and three armed men step in with their rifles aimed at her. "Restrain subject for transport. We can't keep them waiting."

_Them?_ Harmony thought, she isn't sure if she should relax or be more afraid. This may not be a day for testing, but why else would they have her out? One of the guards approaches her with a device she knows too well. A set of thick handcuffs snap onto her wrists. Her enhanced strength won't help her. The handcuffs were made to withstand her strength and have a special feature, which Harmony discovered the hard way. If she attempts to escape or fight, even pull on the handcuffs, they will emit an electric shock comparable to an electro-mag rod. She knew how strong the voltage of the rod is and she did not want to feel it again. Harmony stands on her feet, her body still aches from the last testing session for her endurance and the effect the last alterations did for her physical strength.

In her service for Shinra, Harmony never set foot in some of the floors in headquarters. Some places were restricted from someone of her position. She wished she never seen the horrors hidden in the upper floors. This massive building hides the ugly truth. It's Hell, torment and reeks of death and greed. Each guard takes their position, one on each side of her and the third a few steps ahead of them. Harmony memorized the path from her cell to the laboratory, but they're leading her away from it to an elevator.

_Wait, where am I going? What's going on? _Harmony thought, her body breaks in cold sweat with anticipations of what is going to happen next. The guards would snap at her if she dared speak. They wouldn't know what is going on anyways except getting her from point A to point B. The doors slide shut and lower to their destination. She watches the numbers on a panel highlight as they go down.

_Sixty-eight…sixty-seven…sixty-six…_

The elevator stops with a slight jolt. The door slides open to a long hallway, nothing Harmony has seen before. She wanted to run, afraid of the inevitable. She plants her feet on the floor, refusing to take another step. "Step forward!" One of the guards orders, the cyborg doesn't budge. "Get moving!" Another barks, already losing patience and he pokes her thigh with his elector-mag rod, threatening to shock her. Harmony moves her leg away from it and reluctantly steps out of the elevator. She keeps an eye on the rod, ready to dodge its sparks. The leading guard stands before a door, opening it to a strange room. It's quite large and dark for the ongoing presentation before a long table. There's five people sitting at the table of varying shapes and size, but it's hard to tell who they are in the dark. Harmony has a very bad feeling about this. Anger fills her when she spots the vile scientist standing before the table and speaking to the people.

Professor Hojo hated these obligations. He must present his latest project to Shinra's Board of Executives to gain some additional funding to continue his work. It's quite dull, but necessary to continue his research in this project. His assistants were ahead of him to set up the presentation before the directors entered the board room in floor sixty-six and he started it on time while waiting for the specimen. He worked on this project in the past several years and there's promise in his research. They're watching a video of one of the tests they forced Harmony through. She sees herself panting heavily in the video, blood splattered and her issued, short black jumper torn from the fight. A dead red cap lies on the ground, crumpled from the strength of Harmony's cybernetic arm. There's three mechanical drones in ruin around the creature from the previous fight. Harmony watches in horror, how she hated to fight. She doesn't want to anymore, no longer kill and fret of dying at the hands of the people she once served. This is all for survival, to live another day in this accursed place.

"Thus, this concludes my observations I present before you. I have presented you the findings I have thus far in this project. I propose to have additional funding to advance in my research for Project LEGION." Hojo says and the lights switch on, allowing Harmony to see the people. She didn't recall any of them except one at the head of the table. He is the one and only President Shinra who appeared to be unamused with the whole presentation. A woman sits at the right of him, her full red lips pursed together and another man sits next to her. He's quite short and overweight and obsessively adding sugar to his tea. A taller and larger man with a long bushy beard seems quite annoyed with the clinking of the spoon stirring about in the shorter man's cup. Across from them is a third man who appears fairly normal compared to the others.

"I appreciate your efforts, Professor, but how will this project benefit us?" The President says and Hojo gives the guards the signal. They push Harmony forward and out of the shadows. "Of course, you know I always think about the benefit of the company." Hojo answers with sarcasm, none of the audience seem to have picked up on that. No matter, he had to keep up this façade for his research. Harmony knows that this is all a show to get what he wants. "I will gladly explain how we could all find the likes of such beings helpful in our cause. Now, I will present the prototype." Two of the guards lead Harmony to stand beside the professor. She's close to him now, she longs to strangle him for everything he put her through. If only she could.

"Ugh! Such an ugly little thing!" Scarlet remarks with utmost disgust. "I don't believe physical appeal is a priority in my work. That is none of my concern." Hojo says and refrains to roll his eyes at her remark. "Now that is a peculiar creature. You have actually made a being of man and metal?" Heidegger asks, not caring whether this stranger was born human and in some ways, she still is. Harmony drops her eyes to the floor, ashamed with what she became. The professor disregards these questions as he continues on.

"We would benefit from cyborg soldiers in more ways than one." He states, and a hand grabs a handful of Harmony's bangs. Before she could react, he pulls on them to lift her head. They ignored her cries of pain and with the guard holding the electo-mag rod nearby, she doesn't have the option to step back. "As you can see, I have implanted a bionic eye that acts as a scope. Guaranteed to aim and shoot at targets with improved accuracy compared to what our machines for war are capable of." This caused Scarlet to perk up slightly when she thinks about the impact on her department. Improved accuracy would mean less ammunition needed, cutting production and more money for her.

"As for other assets." Hojo releases her hair and did what Harmony feels too embarrassed to this day. One cuff is removed, he needs one of her arms. He reached for the zipper hanging from the high collar of her jumper. He yanks it down and her eyes widen in horror. The scientist isn't fazed and he pulls on the right to reveal her mechanical arm. He stretches it out while Harmony hugs her chest with her human arm. "Through genetic enhancement, we increased this specimen's physical strength, but the greatest of it all would be the implanted limbs. Armies of twenty men would be taken down by no more than five cyborgs. With further work, the cyborgs could outmatch third, even second class SOLDIER."

"Intriguing. That would mean less men would be needed." Heidegger remarks as he idly stroke his beard. Public Safety wouldn't have to spend more, lining his pockets as well. "Here it is further supported by metal plates composed of an alloy leading to less wear and tear and more resistant to weather damage." Hojo continues and he forces Harmony to turn to show her back where the plates attached to the artificial arm and shoulder fused seamlessly on the right side of her back. Her face is deep red, her heart ablaze. How dare he expose her like this in front of strangers! This is not acceptable and she won't stand for it. She lets out a low growl and stomps her foot on the unwary man who is too busy prattling about his work to be on guard. Professor Hojo barely let out a sound, his eyes wide from the attack. Everyone didn't seem to notice and he better not be distracted. His research is far too important. No matter, Harmony had no idea what he had in store. It will be revenge for her defiance. The guards noticed Harmony stomped on him, but Hojo gave no signal to harm her. He released her and she quickly pulled on her clothing and zips it up before the guards forced the cuffs back on her. She felt hot inside, horribly sick in the stomach. How could they take every shred of decency she had left? Harmony wants to leave, to get away from this abuse.

All but one of the executives did not seem to mind her obvious discomfort. Reeve sat in silence, horribly uncomfortable about the whole ordeal. He could believe they allowed this among other occurrences. Reeve wanted to be anywhere but here. This woman looked quite young, this project was ongoing for several years, and she must have still been a child when she was brought here. How far would Shinra go? If only Reeve knew the all of worst of the sins this company committed. "Heehee! Cyborgs are what we need. Oh, do give some cyborgs to the Space Program!" Palmer exclaims and the others turn their attention to him. Palmer grins sheepishly as Heidegger gave him his warning. "Not another word, Palmer." He bellows though he's surprised he lasted this long being in the same room as his colleague. Reeve shakes his head, turning his attention to the specimen.

"What's her name?" Harmony looks up, her eyes searching for the voice. "What?" Hojo asks lowly. Did he hear him right? Reeve must have said something other than what he thought. "What is her name?" Reeve repeats and the whole room is still. A vile smirk forms on the professor's lips and he snickers as though he heard a funny joke. "Ah, that's a good one! What foolishness! Experiments don't have names."

"She must have one. She was human once, was she not? Perhaps a citizen, one of our own?" Reeve asks, though the others find it oddly bold of him to speak out. Harmony stared at Reeve, her mouth slightly agape. It's been too long since she heard anyone call her human and ask a question as they would ask a person. Funny, she almost forgot her name. She didn't know how to respond at that moment. Hojo frowns, not willing to answer his question and the President intervenes. "Indeed, cyborgs are quite promising. It could help us with our profits." He announces, money and power are always among his priorities. "Say no more, Professor. We will grant you more funds for Project LEGION. I think we all agree on that." Reeve shifts in his seat, afraid for what will become of this stranger. "Very well. I shall begin preparations immediately. Hojo announces and he shoves Harmony toward the guards. They take their position to move her back to the laboratory. Harmony couldn't take her eyes off Reeve. This is the first man since the incident that nearly killed her who acknowledge her, not as an object, but as a person. His question repeated in her head. They led her out of the board room, she feels she will never see him again. Yet she open her mouth to speak.

* * *

"Harmony…My name is Harmony." She whispers, seeing her reflection once more. She closes her eyes and rubs at her forehead. "Damn, I'm so tired…What is with these flashbacks?" She murmurs to herself. She sets the ruined dress on the mattress. She reaches to pull the drawer of the nightstand. "I hope it's still here." She whispers softly.

_I'll wait, so show me why you're strong._

_Ignore everybody else, we're alone now._

Sitting alone in the drawer is a small trinket. A rectangular box with a black piano finish remains. The lid bears a picture of a bouquet of flowers. Harmony always loved flowers, even though they are rare here and she never grew one on her own. It's difficult to do so in an environment like Midgar. The shine of the box's finish faded with age and the picture has chipped some. The brass hinges have lost its luster as well. It's still as beautiful as the day she got it. Harmony's mother gave her the little Milano music box on her thirteenth birthday.

"I wonder if it still plays music." The cyborg wonders and she opens it. The clear compartment held pieces of brass and a small compartment lined with black velvet. Harmony used to keep a few of her rings in the jewelry compartment and of a tiny bracelet given to her when she was an infant. The rings are gone, most likely from theft. Left alone is a frayed piece of elastic thread from the bracelet and a lone enamel bead of a pink heart. Her heart leaps in joy to find a single, dry rose petal. It's the remainder of the rose Dill gave her on her sixteenth birthday. Just how did it even get here? No matter, the memoir of the gift is now with her. Harmony take out the contents from the little compartment and takes out her pocket knife. She finds cuts a small square from what is the cleanest part of the dress, setting the bead and petal on the center. She gingerly folds it and places it back in the jewelry compartment.

Then, Harmony turns the turnkey connected to the Milano box and sets it on the mattress. The parts filling on compartment of plastic and brass begin to work after years of silence. The tune of "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" plays in the room. Harmony settles on the bed and listens to the long forgotten tune as her mind drifts to another memory she fought to suppress, the day of her escape.

_I'll wait, so show me why you're strong._

_Ignore everybody else, we're alone now._

* * *

She remembers it clearly. Something was very wrong and she knew her life could be in more danger. Hojo gave Harmony odd injections that made her feel strange, horribly sick. Pain and swelling occurred in her lower abdomen and she broke into a fever. She dreaded those injections and she had no idea what it was. One day, the strange injections stopped. Harmony could relax, though she has not been tested in the last few days. It was hard to keep track of time in the laboratory, and she had no way to see the sun rise and fall. She missed the sun and stars terribly. She was in a heavy sleep, unaware that Hojo gave her a tranquilizer shot while she slept. His assistants came in and took her away.

Harmony woke up to not find the dark gray walls. She was not on her stiff bed, but on a metal table, stripped of her clothes and bound tight. IV lines, and wires connected to the neighboring monitors scared her while Hojo spoke with a few of his colleagues. "It's been thirty-four hours since the last injection of the hormone therapy. Now is the time to perform the extraction. Once we have the mature ova, we will perform in-vitro fertilization and plant them in the incubation pods. That is where the accelerated growth and maturation take place. From there, we will consider implanting biomechanicals into the specimens. Are there any questions?" He asks and one of the assistants steps forth. "What are the complications?"

"It's not often that we have performed a laparoscopic ovum retrieval. It's still a fairly new procedure after all. Hemorrhaging has been reported along with obstruction of the pelvic organs. The effects could be catastrophic, but necessary for our work."

"Are you sure about this, sir?" One of the younger scientists asks. "I'm positive. HH-152 has been the only specimen to survive the reconstruction shortly after we obtained her. She's the only one genetically capable to withstand cybernetic implants. Our manipulations are more in favor for the survival rate. Her offspring will do the very same!" Hojo says with a nod. "Professor, this procedure sounds hazardous... This could kill the specimen. We can't afford to lose the progress we have so far." Another scientist says. "It's for the benefit of our research!" Hojo snaps, "We came this far. Now is the time to extract what we need for the next phase of LEGION. Now prepare the incubation pods. We will need them for the accelerated growth." Neither of the two scientists dared to argue with their superior who is determined to continue his project. The loss of one life is never Hojo's concern and now is not an exception. Not many of the scientists here have an ounce of sympathy for the suffering or the dead.

Harmony stirs, looking at the man with her face stricken with fear. Her mind weaves in and out of consciousness, but in the end she manages to stay awake. "What's going on? What's going to happen to me?" She asks weakly and Professor Hojo glances at her from his notes.

"Hmph, it appears the anesthetic wasn't enough to keep you down. No matter." He scoffs more to himself. He didn't consider anything more about Harmony. She pieces together Hojo's lecture from earlier. It sounds like Hojo didn't have much clue on how to perform this procedure nor care to know as long as he got what he wanted for his work. Is this Project LEGION? Is this how they are going to make more cyborgs? This could be the end. This can't be happening! Professor Hojo sets his notes down after recording the vital signs and he idly picks up each instrument he plans to use.

"You're going to cut me open?" Harmony gasps, knowing this could be the end of her. She has a heavy sense of foreboding weighing her heart. She pulls on the restraints. "This could kill me."

"All sacrifices are necessary for the sake of science." The professor says nonchalantly while washing his hands and pulling on gloves. He stands beside Harmony to prepare the aspiration needle. "N-no…No, please." She whimpers, pulling more on her restraints. "D-don't do this! Don't!" Professor Hojo looks over his shoulder to call for an assistant. "Specimen is showing signs of resistance, prepare the anesthesia. We can't have her ruin the procedure." He didn't appear worried at all as he takes the large scalpel. There's no need to prepare the cyborg further as it would be possible that she may not survive, save for the anesthesia to keep her from squirming.

Fear clenches her body, hot tears spring from her eyes while two other scientists step toward her to administer the drug. "No, don't you dare! No more needles! No more cutting! No more! No more!"

"Professor, heart rate increased. Blood pressure rising."

"She's starting to move more."

"Tighten the straps, you imbeciles!" Hojo snaps, he had it with this little show. The beeping from the monitor reading her vitals become louder, more frequent. "You can't kill me here! Don't you get any closer! I'm warning you!" She growls as she pulls more violently against the binds. "Professor Hojo!" One of the assistants cries in fear, never seeing this happened before. A whirlwind of emotion overcomes Harmony. The ugly mixture of humiliation, fear, anger and hate. There's so much pent-up hate against Shira, against every soul bound here. Most of all, there's pure spite towards none other than Professor Hojo. "I can't die like this!" She shrieks, hearing straps tear and the two scientists desperately hold her down.

"I'm scared!" She screams and Hojo backs away, dropping the scalpel. "I want to live!" The straps snap and Harmony acts on instinct and her drive to survive. She attacks the assistants, both of them cry in agony when she grabs them with her cyber arm, squeezing the life out of them. Wires pull out of her bleeding, human arm, side and chest. The pain sparks her newfound fury further when chaos strikes. Professor Hojo has never seen anything like this.

Blood splatter against the wall when one of the younger scientists was thrown against it, the other lies limp on the floor from a broken neck. Alarms sound off from destruction of machines, glass breaking and sparks fly. Eyes filled with hate dart to Hojo who watches the carnage. Harmony snarls and storms her way to him. She wants to grab him, hold him high by the throat and watch the slimy bastard squirm for his pathetic life. The scientist is calm and he presses the button on his desk. "Security! Report to the Main Laboratory at once! We have a specimen on the loose." Harmony stops dead I her tracks, her eyes wide. She does not blink as she looks to the sneering man. She quickly turns around to see the damage done. Pure shock seized the young woman, to see the immense damage, and the bodies and gore before her. Harmony steps backwards, away from Hojo and she turns to make a run for it.

Her mind scrambles for a strategy. The intercom rings out its warning when she sought refuge through the air ducts. "Your attention please! We issue an intrusion alert. Intruder has been last reported in floor sixty-eight in the southeast quadrant heading downwards toward the lower floors. ! All personnel are to be evacuated to designated safe zones until further noticed. The entire facility is now under lockdown. All defense engaged. Repeat, perform standard Shinra evacuation procedures and do not venture out until intruder is located and contained. This is not a drill! Repeat. This is not a drill!"

Alarms blare through the hallways and main elevators shut down except for the hidden elevators to transport staff of importance. Harmony doesn't doubt that SOLDIER and possibly Turks will be deployed to find her. They will search every part of the building and no doubt use deadly force if necessary. She has to get out! Harmony fought this long to live another day. She wants to be free, she wants to live. Harmony has to get out of this Hell, to breathe in fresh air again and see the sun.

The sun…

* * *

Harmony groans as she stirs from the vivid memory. Eyes open and she blinks before sitting up on the mattress to see a brilliant light fill the room. Dawn has returned. Harmony remembers seeing it for the first time in years. She broke into lockers, pulled on a uniform she found and took a gun, clips and a first aid kit before climbing back into the air ducts again. The clothes were a little big on her, but it was better than nothing. She made it outside to be greeted by the dawn. It was such a beautiful sight, Harmony thought she would never see it again. It was the dawn of a new life. The life without her home, her family and friends. Everyone she knew and loved are not aware of her existence and they may never know. She's alone now, alone in this ugly world.

_Suddenly I'm hit. _

_Is this the starkness of the dawn? _

_And your friends are gone._

_When your friends won't come._

Harmony almost lost her life once more that day. She was cornered by guards who were to bring her back to the labs, dead or alive. They injured her and she was immobile. It was the end until unlikely heroes came to her aid. That was when Harmony met AVALANCHE for the first time. They dispatched her pursuers and took her in when she was unconscious. The rest is history, all of which are livid memories. She recovered in Seventh Heaven and now she is well enough to earn her keep and fight alongside them. They know the truth about Shinra and want to put a stop to them. The cyborg has the same goal. There must be a reason to all of this. There has to be a reason to how Harmony came to be, how she suffered. Is she destined for a greater purpose? Does she have a part in the great scheme to end the tyranny and save the Planet?

_So show me where you fit, _

_So show me where you fit. _

The melody from the music box is gone, there's only silence. She winds it up once more and the music plays again. She didn't realize it was a bad time.

_I'll wait, _

_So show me why you're strong. _

_Ignore everybody else, _

_We're alone now. _

_We're alone now. _

_We're alone now. _

_I'll wait, _

_I'll wait. _

_We're alone now._

_We're alone now. _

_We're alone now._

_We're alone now._

"What d'ya mean there's a break-in, yo?" A voice calls from outside. Harmony perks up, vaguely remembering the source. She leaves the bed to peer in the window. Reno stands on the sidewalk before the house with a younger Turk who must be a recruit patrolling Sector Eight. Harmony remembers spending late nights watching Turks walk along the streets, always watchful for trouble or for any children out long past curfew which used to be quite common in her childhood. She seen Reno from afar when she was in the Infantry, though she didn't know him as well as Cloud or a few of her friends.

"We better get in there, then. Look in every room and take down whoever is in there! We got demolition on its way to tear down this sorry state of a place, yo." Reno orders with his electro-mag rod resting against his shoulder. Harmony can't let him or the recruit see her. She's sure she is still wanted by Shinra. She is a fugitive in their eyes. They may capture or attack her if they see her. Harmony quickly locks her bedroom door, picking up the music box and slams the lid shut. She couldn't bear to look in the mirror placed on the underside of the lid, or in any mirror. She doesn't want to be reminded. She slips the small Milano box into the pocket of her jacket and opens her bedroom window. Harmony is thankful that it isn't sealed shut. The pair steps inside and she swings her legs over the window sill. Footsteps quickly made their way up the stairs. She reaches for the sturdy drain pipe and shimmies her way before dropping at a fairly safe distance.

Then, Harmony runs. She runs far into the alleyway nearby and slips into the world beneath the Plate. AVALANCHE won't be happy with her being gone for so long, but it was this once and she is sure no one will follow her. All that matters is Harmony came back to collect her small treasures: The memories of who she knew and who she loved. It's reminded her that Harmony was once loved. She was a daughter, friend, crush, and most of all: Human.

The door swings open after taking damage from the kicking. Two men step into the sad remains of the bedroom and looks for any sign of life. Reno coughs into his hand from the rising dust, and taps his rod against his shoulder while scanning the area. He thought he heard a peculiar sound. It was a strange melody, like from a music box coming from upstairs. There's no one here. They looked under the bed, in the closet. There was no one here. Reno shrugs and turns away, ignoring the tattered dress on the mattress and the shattered glass from a damaged painting. He leads the younger Turk out to search the other rooms, finding no one. He spotted an open window when they came outside from the bedroom that had the locked door.

"Odd…" Reno murmurs, but he dismiss these thoughts. There's more important things to tend to after all. They left the house be at the mercy of demolition. No one will know it was once home to a family long lost in the hands of Shinra Electric Company. They will never know that Harmony Halcyon returned to see her memories and say goodbye to the life she once had.

_Suddenly I'm hit, _

_Is this starkness of the dawn?_

_And your friends are gone. _

_When your friends won't come._

_So show me where you fit, _

_So show me where you fit…_

_Retrograde by James Blake_


End file.
